Israel's defence ministry said Wednesday that its arms exports hit an all-time high of more than $14.7 billion in 2024, with a sharp rise in deals with Arab Gulf states, despite international criticism of Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

"Israel again reached an all-time peak in defence exports in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive record-breaking year in the scope of defence agreements," the ministry, which oversees and approves the exports of Israel's defence industries, said in a statement.

A majority -- 56.8 percent -- of the deals signed were "mega-deals" valued at at least $100 million each, the ministry said, adding that "operational achievements" in the Gaza war had driven the demand.

Since the outbreak of the war, sparked by militant group Hamas's attack on October

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